Mate's Table
Subscribe
Create
Share with the community

What would you like to make?

Add a recommendationShare a place worth gathering around.Create a guideBuild a useful list for your city.
For business

Restaurant

Maalu Maalu

246 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056, Australia

Recommended by 54 people

Updated

Find Maalu Maalu

246 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056, Australia

Directions ↗
+61 3 7302 0716
HoursMonday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Thursday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Friday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Saturday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:30 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

Book Now

About Maalu Maalu

Sydney Road’s best-kept dinner secret is a generous, homestyle Sri Lankan buffet that sidesteps punishing price tags. Diners gather around steaming trays of saffron rice, tender curries, and spiced vegetables crafted with mild baseline heat—letting you layer fiery sambals at your own pace. Regulars often add fresh, made-to-order egg hoppers cooked straight off the stove, or secure a batch of special-order lamprais a couple of days in advance. Coeliacs and vegans navigate the spread easily thanks to clearly marked dishes, washing down hearty plates of dhal and sweet potato with a cool mango lassi.

  • Unbeatable Buffet Value: Diners load up on rotating meat and vegetable curries, saffron rice, and noodles for a modest flat price with no time limit.
  • Mild, Balanced Profiles: Curries lean gentle on chili burn, allowing guests to customize heat levels using house-made sambals and condiments.
  • Made-to-Order Hoppers: Guests can supplement the buffet spread with fresh, crisp-edged egg hoppers cooked straight from the pan.
  • Dietary Inclusivity: The buffet line clearly flags gluten-free selections alongside an abundant lineup of vegan and vegetarian choices.
  • Specialty Lamprais: Customers can call ahead a few days in advance to reserve traditional, banana-leaf-wrapped lamprais.
RestaurantSri LankanRestaurantBar

What's On at Maalu Maalu

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Choose Maalu Maalu

Discover why diners gather at Maalu Maalu for generous Sri Lankan feasts, fresh hoppers, and welcoming hospitality.

  • Uncapped Value Across All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Dishes

    Guests enjoy an authentic Sri Lankan all-you-can-eat spread with rotating meat and vegetable curries, saffron rice, and fried sides without dining time limits.

    The all-you-can-eat option is cheap and offers a lot of options, both in carbs and the side dishes.

    Nur Fajar

  • Fresh Hoppers Cooked Straight Off the Stove

    Diners can enhance their feast with made-to-order egg hoppers prepared hot off the stove with runny eggs and thin crispy edges.

    I've not had hoppers as fresh as the hoppers here - straight off the stove and simply delicious.

    Scott Steensma

  • Comforting Home-Style Flavors Without Overwhelming Heat

    Home-style recipes provide deep nostalgic warmth and comforting flavors while keeping baseline curries accessible and non-intimidating.

    One thing I am so thankful for is that the food is not too spicy which means that I can enjoy without sweating buckets.

    Kithmini Cooray

  • Carefree Feasting Without Portion Anxiety

    Diners can relax and indulge across multiple courses without worrying about portion restrictions, bills, or ticking clocks.

    And it's all you can eat, which is perfect because you don't want to stop eating because it's so good.

    Marc O

  • Effortless Group Meals Across Diverse Diets

    Clear gluten-free and vegan labelling alongside diverse meat selections makes organizing dinners for broad groups seamless and worry-free.

    Gluten free clearly labelled, safe for coeliacs, lots of vegetarian and meat options.

    Anthony

  • Reliable Feasts for Extended Gatherings and Events

    Large group gatherings and festive family banquets are serviced reliably with generous portion sizes and shared spreads that satisfy all dietary preferences.

    There’s around 40 of us and EVERYONE can’t say enough positive things about the food and staff.

    kerri cini

Customer favorites from the all-you-can-eat buffet and live hopper station

  • Egg Hoppers

    I've not had hoppers as fresh as the hoppers here - straight off the stove and simply delicious.

    Scott Steensma

  • Chicken Curry

    My favourites were the chicken curry, eggplant moju, pumpkin and green bean veggie, and the egg hoppers.

    S Nadeson

  • Dhal

    The dhal, eggplant, chicken curry, malung and hoppers were some of the standouts!

    Dee Gaut

  • Eggplant Moju

    Eggplant moju (or something) and the egg curry are OMG 🤤 delicious 🫶.

    Ani

Other favorites

Specialty street carbs, refreshing drinks, and bar treats to complete your meal

  • Egg Kottu

    I really loved the egg kottu which is roti chopped up into noodle like strands and mixed into the various ingredients which is delicious.

    Shaun D'Monte

  • Chicken Biriyani

    The chicken biriyani is really nice, spiced rice with tender bits of chicken.

    Shaun D'Monte

  • Mango Lassi

    Mango lassi is so delicious.

    Anthony

  • Falooda

    The Falooda was a treat from the bar.

    Trish Peach

Beyond the menu

Thoughtful hospitality touches that elevate your Sri Lankan dining experience

  • Fresh Made-to-Order Egg Hoppers

    Egg hoppers are made fresh to order and brought out hot straight off the stove with a fluffy coconut center and runny egg, available as a per-person add-on.

  • Self-Moderated Spice Station

    Curry baselines are prepared mild while separate condiments, spicy sambals, and crushed chillies are kept at hand so diners can calibrate spice to their comfort level.

  • Clear Coeliac & Vegan Dish Labeling

    The buffet explicitly flags gluten-free and coeliac-safe options alongside dedicated vegan and vegetarian curries, giving mixed dietary groups complete clarity.

  • Unrushed No-Time-Limit Dining

    Guests dining on the all-you-can-eat buffet can sample curries across multiple rounds at their own pace without being rushed by dining limits.

Before you head over

Practical advice on buffet timing, spice moderation, and add-ons

  • Arrive early for peak dish temperature

    Plan to arrive between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM for dinner so you can enjoy the dishes while hot and freshly replenished before closing time.

  • Customize heat using side condiments

    Curries are prepared with mild baseline heat; use the separate sambals and crushed chilli condiments if you prefer more intense spice.

  • Order freshly made hoppers straight off the stove

    Made-to-order egg hoppers come fresh off the pan as an optional add-on for a nominal extra charge alongside your buffet plates.

Explore more places in Melbourne

Find familiar flavours, neighbourhood favourites and somewhere new in Melbourne.

Browse all Melbourne venues